A little bit of creativity ...

I haven't posted for a couple of weeks and have missed the blogging side of my life.

I am in the countdown for the wedding now with only 11 weeks to go! It's very scary - how did the countdown go from months to weeks? The time is flying with so much to do, I dedicated a whole week to making my wedding invitations which, in hindsight should have been sent by now. My partner and I fell in love with some very simple but elegant cards, however when we priced them, just 50 would have cost close to £300.00. We are on a very tight budget and being me, I insisted on making them myself.

This was the work in progress;

and this is the finished result;

I can't show the inside for obvious reasons but suffice to say that I am more than happy with them and happier still with the money we have saved (to be spent on more pressing matters).

I also managed to spend a wee bit of time on making my mother-in-law (to-be) a Mother's Day present. I have recently got her into quilting and wanted to make a sewing roll for all her pins and cotton reels etc.

I came up with her initials on the outside;

and this on the inside;

A close-up;

Now to make my own Mother one to take up with me on my next visit.

My next tasksare three quilts on order and some more wedding organisation - including making some Wedding Wishes cards and decorating the cake boxes.

Phew!! All this wedding malarchy is quite exhausting!!!

See you all soon.

Caroline xxx

My First Blogger Award

How Lucky am I? I have just been awarded this Kreativ Blogger Award from zlatysews.blogspot.com.

Thank you so much Zlaty, I am honoured.

This award is meant to be shared and so I must now spread the joy and pass it on to 7 more bloggers whose work I admire. I must also provide a list of seven things that I love. Mmmmm, but I love so much .... These are my favourites;

1. My wonderful husband-to-be Tony who I love and adore and supports me unconditionally.

2. My angel doggie Henri, the Jack Russell who brings much pleasure and joy.

3. My wonderful family and friend, although far and wide are always there.

4. My hobbies; especially quilting, I fell in love only 2 years ago and love it to pieces.

5. My home; in the Warwickshire countryside surrounded by fields of nature and beauty.

6.My Job; I work part-time at a local garden centre surrounded by beautiful flowers.

7. God - who always listens and seems to provide me with such peace of mind.

I am going to have a little think about the seven bloggers who will receive the award from me. I want to be fair and there are just so many amazing bloggers out there...

It was a relatively simple problem!

Another week has gone by since my dilemma with my sewing machine. I'm glad to report that all is well and I managed to save my good old Janome from a visit to a mechanic. I knew the problem wasn't mechanical and that it was just something that I was overlooking. I have only been quilting for nearly 2 years!!

Anyway, I would like to say a huge thank you to all those who sent me e-mails and messages with suggestions and tips, they were very helpful and it was lovely to see how much support is out there.

As you can see from the photo above the quilt has been completed. The problem was loops on the wrong side and this was easily solved. For the record if anyone else has a Janome Memory Craft 6600 the trick to sewing free motion are as follows;

Attach your free motion foot

Feed dogs must be down

The computer needs to be set on number 11 in mode 2

Set tension to number 7

Foot Pressure Dial needs to be relatively high at 2.5-3

Speed Control Dial set at at two arrows

Thread your machine

Before you start make sure that the tension regulating dial has taken up the thread. On my machine it sometimes doesn't catch and sits on the spring, the best thing to do if this happens is to put a finger on the thread on the top of the machine and give a firm tug once the thread is wound through the lower thread guide (7).

Once you are ready to begin on your fabric bring the bobbin thread onto the right side of the fabric.

This is where problems can occur with looping on the wrong side. All you have to do is wrap the bobbin thread around two fingers and apply a firm pressure whilst sewing a few securing stitches.


Start sewing and check the fabric. You should find that the stitches are nice and even with no looping. The machine needs to be going at quite a fast but controlled speed in order to get neat stitches that aren't too big and that flow round curves.

Here are some close-ups of the flower and loop-d-loop design I used;

Hope this helps. Thank you again and see you next Friday - with hopefully another project underway.

Hope you like the new layout - i love the design I might just have to get some of this Alexander Henry fabric!!

All pieced and basted, with nowhere to go!

I have worked pretty hard this week to create my latest quilt with the most gorgeous fabrics designed by Anna Griffin called the Lulu collection. The design is pretty basic with squares within a bordered frame. I managed to cut, piece and baste this quilt within a few hours over two days. The plan was to be able to practice my free motion quilting with this one - free-hand flowers and loops. Plans didn't go according to plan however. I have spent the past two hours and used up lots of scraps trying to get the thread tension just right. My Janome Memory-Craft 6600, is not cooperating and had I not sat down to write this post then I may just have come to blows with the machine.

I have cleaned it inside and out, put in a new needle and she is still not happy. I have been on the phone to the service centre, who were very happy helpful but suggested having it looked at by a sewing machine engineer. I'm at my wits end! I can sew on her no problem with other feet and the tension is fine but free-hand quilting causes utter melt-down. Does anyone else have a similar problem with their machine. I would be very grateful for any advice!!!

I may just have one more go - maybe it's the thread i'm using ....

Love is ....

I've been busy for the last couple of weeks. There have been a few finishes and another start on this recent project that I have called 'Love is'. I wanted to do an easy project that wouldn't involve lots of drawing and appliquing. I also wanted do a quilt on the theme of Valentines and decided on a rather simple block involving hearts, the writing around the edge being one of my initial inspirations. The Rose fabric on the binding and the Makower love letters fabric for the sashing were the very first fabrics I bought - 2 years ago! I did go off the 'Love Letters' fabric but bought so much of it (4m worth at 99p per metre) that I stashed it away in the loft swearing to never look at it again.

I am rather thrilled with the results - the lines from Corinthians were hand stitched around the edges. I was looking for a romantic love poem, but as I am getting married in a few months and love the Corinthians text, I thought it would be rather appropriate. In case you can't read them on the photo they say;

Love is Patient

Love is kind

Love is never envious

or arrogant with pride

Here's wishing you all a Happy Valentine's day.

The North Wind Doth Blow and We Shall Have Snow...

On my Birthday!!!!

I woke up yesterday morning to find a light dusting of snow on the ground - it was a lovely treat on my Birthday. After opening presents in bed at 6am, I took my Jack Russell Henri out for his morning walkies, he loved the snow. I know he looks a bit silly in his coat, I don't really believe in dressing pets up but he does get terribly cold.

This is one of the views from the field behind our house - the weather did look terribly bleak but today the sun has been shining and it was just as though we had never had snow.

I had a wonderful array of presents - since my partner and I are frantically saving to pay for our wedding in June I decided that I would only ask for presents that I really, really needed, well he did ask me to write a list!!! I asked for some quilting bits and bobs that would see me through the year - and between him and his wonderful parents this is what I received ....

Lots of wonderful goodies and more besides I also got a leather thimble, a necklace, Mamma Mia DVD, a new cutting board and quilting book. Nothing could make me happier. I have enough to keep me out of trouble for weeks!!!

This weekend I have been experimenting with hexagons - I am trying to work through my stash and found a collection of Liberty Tana Lawn fabric that Tony bought me when I first started quilting. I haven't really known what to do with them and was inspired by the gorgeous rose quilt here that I decided to give it a whirl. I arranged the colours into seasonal shades since there seemed to be a collection of brights, neutrals, oranges/browns and blues. I have no idea how the quilt will come together but I think this one will be for keeps.

I'll leave you for now with this photo I took, of snowdrops, the day before the snow arrived. I rather liked it!!! I'll see you on Friday.

Another Quilt Completed

I started this quilt last week after being inspired by the black and white quilt challenge. I knew that I wanted a 'Cat' theme and set about drawing some characters. My cat looks rather grumpy but by the bottom of the quilt you will see that he manages a smile before showering his friends with hearts and flowers.

The next time your own cats are gazing out of the window staring gloomily at a bird on a branch - perhaps he's having quite different dreams from that of the usual cat and mouse/bird theories ....